galassi



Dec. 8, 1931. P..GALASS| STAIRWAY CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet (27.57110/0 a/assl' fills (ll/0mg Dec. 8, 1931. v P. GALASSI 1,835,942

STAIRWAY CONSATRUCTION Filed Dec. 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 k /ZS Zia/e a/assz' 119 (Qilofnej:

Patented Dec. 8, 1931 PASQUALE GALASS I, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STAIRWAY CONSTRUCTION Application filed December 13, 1930. Serial No. 502,068.

This invention relates to building construction and more particularly refers to improvements in the construction of Stairways,

comprisinga metal stairway structure and 5' foot slabs placed one upon each step thereof. In building stairways of this character it is customary to anchor the foot slabs in place, and to thisend anchoring members are riveted or screwed onto each step so as to project 9 upwardly therefrom, and the slabs are pro videdon their underside with recesses or cavities adapted to be inserted oversaid anchoring members and adapted to be filled with a self hardening plastic composition, secure- 5 1y binding the retaining slabs in place.

The slabs used are generally made of ce-v mentitious composition or aggregates and are used in precast form. As a general rule, the recesses or cavities are made with a dovetailed or similar section so as to insure a firm anchorage for the slab after the plastic material placed within the cavities has become hard. This method of fastening the slabs is quite effective in preventing slippagethereof, but on the other hand, it has the disadvantage of also positively preventing the possibility of forcing up the slab from its support. As a result, whenever it should become necessary to repair a stairway, for instance in order to smooth down inequalities of its'surface due to wear, theonly course open is to break off the slabs and to replace them with en- ..tirely new slabs.

It is very desirable in order to saveexpense to avoid doing this, wheneverthe slabs are still sufiiciently heavy to permit of their surface being ground or otherwise evened up. The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved method of stairway construction whereby slabs placed on a metal stairway structure are firmly anchored in place for all ordinary purposes, whileat the same time the anchoring means used are of a character permitting of the slabs being forced up and removed whenever it should become necessary or desirable to do so. p

Another object is to provide in a stairway of the character specified, novel and improved claimed in the'appended claims.

step shown in Fig. 3;

means for anchoring foot slabs in positions,

said means being such as to simplify-the methods of in use.

Other objects and advantages of the pres-1 ent invention will more fully appear as the producing such slabs, heretofore description appears and will beset forth and T.

My invention is illustrated by way of ex-' ample in the accompanying drawingsyin which: a V p 1 1 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a stairway with some of the foot slabs removed,

illustrating my invention; 7 I

Flg. 2 1s a fragmentary vertical cross sectlon thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view in an enlarged scale of'one of the steps of saidstair 1 way illustrating the preferredtype of ana choring means'used in connection with my invention r Fig. 4.- is a fragmentary plan view of the underside of a footslab showing the preferred type of recesses used in connection" with the anchorlng'member shown 1nF1gJ3';

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section showing the slab of Fig. 4 in positionupon the step shown in Fig. 4; in

Fig 6. is a similar view showing how the bottom of the recess may be provided with a metal lining; p V

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section of i a slab in position showing anchoring means of a different design;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing anchoring means of a still difierent'type;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical cross sec tion of the structure shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 101 is a fragmentary horizontal section" of a foot slab showing a still different type of anchoring means;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical crosssection thereof; and V Fig. 12 is a fragmentary horizontal section position upon'th'e I of a foot slab showing a modification of the 1 anchoring means shown in Figs. 10, 11.;

As explained, in a stairway of tl1e;'char acter to which the present invention refers, I

it is desirable to provide an anchorage of a Y 65 erably in practice the cause i type that will not interfere with the removal of the slabs for grinding or polishing purposes; it is also desirable to'form in the slabs recesses having an outline making it unnecessary to use special cores during the moulding process.

' ments. The same compr ses anchoring membersv in the form of lugs, such as 27 secured onto the upper surface of each step 28. Said vided with relatively shallow dovetailed re- .lugs preferably have a trapezoidal outline and a flat bottom surface 29 and are placed in position so as to rest with their shorter side 30 against the upright 31,.their two inclined sides 32, 33 diverging frontwa'rdly therefrom. The. underside of the foot slabs. 3a is processes 35, adapted to surround lugs 27 along their three exposed sides, leaving a clearance 36 all around.

- When the foot slabs are placed in position their recesses are first filled with some suitable. plastic composition, preferably a mixture of chloride of magnesium and water, this mixture having the property of becoming very hard in a relatively short time.

When this binding or cementitious mate-,

rialhas become hard, it will be impossible for the foot slab to move or slip in a horizontal dlrectlon, because the hardened cement forms a wedge between the sides of the lugs and the sides of the grooves. On theother hand, if sufficient force is exerted against the underside ofthe slab it will be possibleto pry it loose from its anchorage whenever it should be desirable to do so. i I In order to improve the anchoring effect of the lugs and in order to effect a correct positioning of the foot slabs, I prefer to make said lugs with their front portion 37 higher than their rear portion 38; The bottom of the recesses will acordingly be deeper at the inner than at theouter end thereof, so as to register with the upper surface of the lugs and interlock therewith, as Fig. 5 clearly shows. I

In this manner, the foot slabs will be retained against slippage even when the bind ingcement has not as yet become hard. If desired, the bottom of the recesses can be provided with a metallic lining registering with the upper surface of the lugs as shownat 39 in Fig. 6. Although lugs having a trapezoidal outline and recesses hav ing; a wider correspondingoutline are prefof the wedging which can only be ex eflect obtainable thereby through the intermediary of the binding composition, it is.

obvious that both the lugs and the recesses can have diiferentoutlines. For instance, in Fig. 7, I show an anchoring lug 40 having an inverted T outline used in combination with a recess 41 having a dovetailed outline. f

In Figs. 8, 9, I show another type of anchoring lug 42 comprising a rear neck por-. tion 43 and a disk like front portion 33, said front portion being higher than the rear portion, as shown in Fig. 9. Both arrangements shown in Figs. -7, 8-9 are substantially equivalent in their anchoring action to the arrangement shown in'Figs. 1 and'5. It will be observed that in all the arrangements so far described, the recesses are open at therear of the foot-slabs, this facilitating the slipping of the foot slabs in position over the anchoring lugs. f r I However, it is within the scope of my invention to. provide recesses having a closed outline, as for instance, shown in Figs. 10,

11, where the step is provided with a circular anchoring lug or lugs45 and the foot-slab is provided" with the corresponding round recesses 46 having preferably .a larger diameter than lugs 45 and forming a half moon clearance therewith. I

In Fig.,12, I illustrate a similar arrangement where thestep is provided with a circular anchoring lug or lugs 47, and the foot I slab J's-provided with oval recesses l8 form ing with said lugs end clearances 49 adapted A to receive the binding material. w

From the foregoing it will be seen that I provide an anchoring arrangement which is throughly'effective for all practical purposes and which permits of the foot slabs being removed without great difficulty whenever necessary. .At the same time, I provide an anchoring, arrangement which, compris-v ing as it does, recesses the bottom of wh1ch is no widerthan their mouth,fmakes it possible to produce slabs at a single operation withoutusing removable cores.

My invention may be carried ,into practice in ways different from those shown without departing from the inventive idea; the drawings will therefore be consideredas being intended for illustrative purposes only and not in a limiting sense. -Accordingly, I reserve thev right to carry my invention into practice in all those ways and manners which enter, fairly, into the scope of the appended claims. W 1

I claim:

1. In a stairway comprising a metal stairway structure and a foot slab placed upon each step thereof, means for anchoring each slab in position so as to positively prevent horizontal displacements thereof, said means comprisingarecess on the underside of said slab having its front part wider than its rear part, an anchoring -member upwardly projecting within said recess, from the underlying supporting surface, also having its front part wider than its rear part, leaving a clearance between its side surfaces and the side surfaces of said recess, and a binding material filling said clearances and acting as a wedge retaining said slab in position.

2. In a stairway comprising a metal stairway structure and a foot slab placed upon each step thereof, means for anchoring each slab in position so as to positively prevent horizontal displacements thereof, said means comprising a recess on the underside of said slab having its front part wider than its rear part, an anchoring member upwardly projecting within said recess, from the underlying supporting surface, also having its front part wider than its rear part, leaving a clearance between its side surfaces and the side surfaces of said recess and a binding material filling said clearances and acting as a wedge retaining said slab in position, said anchoring member having its front part higher than its rear part, and said recess being deeper at the front than at the rear and having its bottom surface registering with the top surface of said anchoring member.

3. In a stairway comprising a metal stairway structure and a foot slab placed upon each step thereof, means for anchoring each slab in position so as to positively prevent horizontal displacements thereof, said means comprising a recess on the underside of said slab having its front part wider than its rear part, an anchoring member upwardly prjecting within said recess, from the underlying supporting surface, also having its front part wider than its rear part, leaving a clearance between its side surfaces and the side surfaces of said recess, and a binding material filling said clearances and acting as a wedge retaining said slab in position, said anchoring member having its front part higher than its rear part, and said recess being deeper at the front than at the rear and front part wider than its, rear part, leaving, a clearance between its side surfaces and'the side surfaces of said recess, and abindin'g material filling said clearances and acting as a wedge retaining said slab in position, said anchoring member having its front part higher than its rear part, and said recess being deeper at the front than at the rear and having its bottom surface registering with the top surface of said anchoring member.

6. In a stairway comprising a metal stairway structure and a foot slab placed upon each step thereof, means for anchoring each slab in position so as to positively prevent horizontal displacements thereof, said means comprising a recess on the underside of said slab opening along the inner edge thereof, said recess having its front part wider than its rear part, an anchoring member'upward- 1y projecting within said recess from the underlying supporting surface, also having its front part wider than its rear part, leaving a clearance between its side surfaces and the side surfaces of said recess, and a binding material filling said clearances and acting as a wedge retaining said slab in position, said anchoring member having its front part higher than its rear part, and said recess being deeper at the front than at the rear and having a metal lining on its bottom surface registering with the top surface of said anchoring member.

. PASQUALE GALASSI.

having a metal lining on its bottom surface registering with the top surface of said anchoring member.

4. In a stairway comprising a metal stairway structure and a foot slab placed upon each step thereof, means for anchoring each slab in position so as to positively prevent horizontal displacements thereof, said means comprising a recess on the underside of said a slab opening along the inner edge thereof, said recess having its front part wider than its rear part, an anchoring member upward- [y projecting within said recess from the underlying supporting surface, also having its front part wider than its rear part, leaving a clearance between its side surfaces and he side surfaces of said recess, and a binding material filling said clearances and act- 

